Sling swivel for guns



Nov. 6, 1962 K. R. LEWIS 3,061,965

sum; SWIVEL FOR GuNs Filed Jan. 10. 1962 INVEVTOR. KAT-PL R. LEWIS United States Patent 3,061,965 SLING SWIVEL FOR GUNS Karl R. Lewis, Ogden, Utah, assignor to Browning Industries, Inc., Ogden, Utah Filed Jan. 10, 1962, Ser. No. 166,456 Claims. (CI. 42-85) This invention relates generally to swivels but is more particularly directed to sling swivels for guns.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved sling swivel for guns which permits a swift and easy removal of the sling from the gun as well as a quick and easy replacement of the sling back on the gun.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved sling swivel for guns which is compact in construction, having a minimum of parts, is economical in cost and most effective in maintaining the sling in a secure and untwisted condition.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved sling swivel which is used on both the front and rear of the gun stock, is installed thereon by merely being press-fitted into a drilled hole having a slightly sm aller diameter than that of the bore in the stock whereby locking knurls formed on the outer surface of the swivel housing hold the swivel securely in position.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a sling swivel for guns that consists of two parts, namely a housing assembly which is secured to the gun stock and a loop assembly fastened to the ends of the sling.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a gun with an improved sling swivel having a plunger which operates to lock the swivel in position when a sling is being used on the gun and to slide outwardly to a position flush with the outer surface of the swivel housing when the sling is removed from the gun to enhance the neat appearance of the gun rather than leave an unsightly hole in the gun stock and to prevent any dirt or other foreign matter from entering the swivel housmg.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a rifle having a gun sling removably attached thereto by means of swivels constructed in accordance with my invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a similar cross sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of my swivel housing shown removed from its position on the gun stock.

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a similar view showing my swivel housing before assembly.

FIGURE 7 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a top plan view of the structure shown by FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is a bottom plan view thereof.

FIGURE 10 is an exploded perspective view of the complete assembly of my swivel.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals are used to designate similar parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 refers to a conventional rifle having the usual sling 11 positioned thereon and secured to a wood stock 20 at each end by means of identical sling swivels 12 constructed in accordance with my invention. My sling swivels 12 each consists of two separable parts namely, a housing assembly H and a loop assembly L.

The housing assembly H consist of a cylindrical housing 13 whose outside surface is provided with a plurality of rings 14 of knurls or longitudinally disposed ridges. The outside diameter of the cylindrical housing 13 is slightly larger at the knurls 14 than at the smooth surface thereof, which in turn is slightly larger than the diameter of bore 15 formed in the stock 20 at its front and rear portions. The cylindrical housing 13 is press-fitted in the bores 15 when assembled as is explained in detail hereinafter and it has been found that the holding power of the housing 13 is only slightly less than the pressure required to press fit the cylindrical housing 13 into the wood of the stock 20. The cylindrical housing is provided with a cylindrical chamber 16 which extends to adjacent a face portion 17 of the cylindrical housing 13, where a bore 23 extends therethrough and communicates with the chamber 16. The bore 23 is of smaller diameter than that of the cylindrical chamber 16 thereby forming a peripheral shoulder 18 at the juncture of the chamber 16 and bore 23, whose inner edge portion is bevelled as at 19.

A companion shoulder 21 formed on a plunger 22 rests on the peripheral shoulder 18 when the sling retaining loop assembly L is removed from the housing assembly H. The shoulder 21 is formed by a cylindrical head member 25 slidably positioned within the cylindrical chamber 16 and having a smaller diameter face member 26 attached integrally thereto, slidably positioned in the bore 23. The outer surfaces of the housing face portion 17 and the face member 26 are slightly arcuated as shown to follow the curved contour of the stock 20 as best shown by FIG- URE 2. The plunger 22 is removably maintained on the peripheral shoulder 18 by a coil spring 30 which is received at its lower end in a bore 15 formed on the plunger 22. The upper end of the compressed coil spring 30 bears against a cover member 31 mounted in position on a shoulder 32 at the top portion of the cylindrical housing 13. The top edge of the cylindrical housing 13 is swaged or upset to form a lip 33 and thereby secure the cover member 31 on the housing 13 against any possible displacement thereof.

A pair of symmetrically disposed slots 34 are formed on the bore 23 for receiving cylindrical lugs 35 that extend outwardly on either side of a shaft 36. The bore 23 is of such size as to receive the shaft 36 as the lugs 35 are slid along the slots 34. The distance between the outer ends of the slots 34 is approximately equal to the diameter of the cylindrical chamber 16. At the outer end of the shaft 36 there is a cylindrical head 37 mounted thereon of larger diameter than the shaft 36. The length of the shaft 36 is such that when the shaft 36 and lugs 35 have been inserted into and slid upwardly along the bore 23 and slots 34, until the head 37 engages the arcuate face 17 of the cylindrical housing 13, the lugs 35 will lie in a plane slightly above the shoulder 18. At this position, the loop assembly L can be rotated inasmuch as the lugs 35 are now found in the lower portion of the cylindrical chamber 16 free of the slots 23. A bore 40 is drilled through the side walls of the cylindrical housing 13 to form lug seats 41 in the peripheral shoulder 18. The axis of the bore 40 is in approximate alignment with a plane passing along the top surface of the shoulder 18 and the lug seat 41 are semi circular in cross section for receiving the lugs 35.

Means are provided for fastening the sling 11 to the loop assembly L comprising a swivel loop 42 having end portions 43 received by a bore 44 formed in the head portion 37 of the loop assembly L. The bore 44 is of smaller diameter than that of the rod forming the loop 42. This construction forms a shoulder 45 on the loop 42 hearing against the outer surface of the head portion 37 of the loop assembly L thereby eliminating any sliding or radial movement of the loop 42 in the bore 44 of the head portion 37.

In the normal use of my improved sling swivel for guns, the gun stock 20 is provided with a housing assembly H as explained hereinabove. The ends of the sling 11 are fastened to the loop 42 of the loop assembly L. Now the loop assembly L is grasped by the thumb and forefinger and the shaft 23 placed against the face member 26 of the plunger 22. As the user applies a force against the plunger 22, the latter will slide inwardly against the coil spring pressure 30 and the lugs 35 are brought into alignment with the slots 34. A continued pushing force on the loop assembly L will now cause the shaft 36 and plunger 22 to slide upwardly into the cylindrical chamber 16 until the lugs 35 have left the slots 34 and now lie completely in a plane above and free of the peripheral shoulder 18. The loop 42 is rotated approximately 90 degrees bringing the lugs 35 above and into alignnment with the lug seats 41. Release of the loop assembly L will cause the coil spring 30 to force the plunger 22 and the loop assembly L to slide in an outward direction thereby compelling the lugs 35 to slide into and become seated on the lug seats 41.

The sling 11 is now firmly fastened to the rifle without any possibility of the sling becoming twisted or loosened from the rifle. The coil spring 30 exerts a constant force against the plunger 22 which in turn bears against the shaft 36 to maintain the lugs 35 in the lug seats 41.

To remove the sling 11 from the rifle 10 the loop 42 is again held between the users thumb and forefinger. He applies a force against the loop assembly L in the direction of the housing assembly H to cause the loop assembly L to slide inwardly of the housing assembly H a relatively short distance. The lugs 35 become unseated and are positioned in the lower portion of the cylindrical chamber 16 above the peripheral shoulder 18. A rotation of the loop 42 about the axis of the shaft 36 of approximately 90 degrees will bring the lugs 35 above and in alignment with the slots 34 so that a release of the users force on the loop assembly L will permit the coil spring force 30 to push on the plunger 22. The plunger 22 will slide outwardly of the housing assembly H to come to rest on the peripheral shoulder 18. The shaft 36 of the loop assembly L will now be free of the housing assembly H and the sling 11 separated from the rifle 10. The cylindrical face member 26 of the plunger 22 will have arrived at its flush position with the outer face 17 of the housing 13 presenting a pleasing appearance and also preventing the ingress of dirt and other foreign matter into the cylindrical housing 13 that otherwise would find its way therein if the opening 23 were allowed to remain uncovered.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A sling swivel for guns comprising a casing having a chamber and a bore at one end communicating with said chamber, shoulder means mounted in said casing at the juncture of said chamber and said bore, a plunger slidably mounted in said chamber and said bore, said plunger having companion shoulder means normally positioned on said first named shoulder means and terminating substantially flush with said one end of said casing, spring means yieldingly urging said plunger shoulder means in contact relation with said first named shoulder means, and sling securing means releasably mounted in said casing, said sling securing means comprising a head portion, a sling securing loop portion rotatably mounted on said head portion adjacent at one end, a shaft portion secured at the other end of said head portion, lug means extending laterally of said shaft portion intermediate its ends, said bore of said casing having substantially the same configuration as said head portion and said lug means for receiving said head portion and lug means and lug seating means mounted in said housing in proximity of said first named shoulder means receiving said lug means and locking said sling securing means and said casing.

2. A sling swivel for guns comprising a cylindrical casing, a plurality of rows of knurls mounted on the outer surface of said cylindrical casing and extending beyond the outer surface thereof, said cylindrical casing having a chamber extending from one end to adjacent the other end thereof and a bore communicating with said chamber and extending to the other end of said cylindrical casing, a shoulder positioned in said cylindrical casing at the juncture of said chamber and said bore, a plunger having a substantially T-shaped cross section slidably mounted in said chamber and said bore and positioned on said shoulder, said plunger having an end portion lying substantially flush with said other end of said cylindrical casing, a cover plate mounted at said one end of said cylindrical casing for enclosing said chamber, a coil spring extending between said cover plate and said plunger yieldingly maintaining said plunger on said shoulder, and sling securing means releasably mounted in said cylindrical casing, said sling securing means comprising a head portion, a sling securing loop portion rotatably mounted on said head portion adjacent one end, a cylindrical shaft secured at the other end of said head portion, a pair of lugs extending laterally of said cylindrical shaft adjacent a free end of said shaft, said bore of said cylindrical casing having a pair of aligned slots whereby said bore and slots are substantially similar in configuration as said cylindrical shaft and said lugs and receive said cylindrical shaft and said lugs, and substantially semi-circular lug seating means mounted at said shoulder in said cylindrical housing receiving said lugs and locking said sling securing means and said cylindrical casing.

3. The structure as recited by claim 2 wherein said substantially semicircular lug seating means comprise a pair of arcuate shoulder members positioned substantially degrees from said pair of aligned slots on said bore.

4. In a rifle having a gun stock and a bore adjacent each end of said stock for receiving sling retaining swivels, each of said sling retaining swivels comprising a cylin drical casing, a plurality of rows of knurls mounted on the outer surface of said cylindrical casing and extending beyond the outer surface thereof, said cylindrical casing being slightly larger than said bore and press fitted therein whereby said knurls retain said cylindrical casing in said gun stock substantially flush with the outer surface of said gun stock, said cylindrical casing having a chamber extending from one end to adjacent the other end thereof and a bore communicating with said chamber and extending to the other end of said cylindrical casing, a shoulder positioned in said cylindrical casing at the juncture of said chamber and said bore, a plunger having a substantially T-shaped cross section slidably mounted in said chamber and said bore and positioned on said shoulder, said plunger having an end portion lying substantially flush with said other end of said cylindrical casing, a cover plate mounted at said one end of said cylindrical casing for enclosing said chamber, a coil spring extending between said cover plate and said plunger yieldingly maintaining said plunger on said shoulder, and sling securing means releasably mounted in said cylindrical casing, said sling securing means comprising a head portion, a sling securing loop portion rotatably mounted on said head portion adjacent one end, a cylindrical shaft secured at the other end of said head portion, a pair of lugs extending laterally of said cylindrical shaft adjacent a free end of said shaft, said bore of said cylindrical casing having a pair of aligned slots whereby said bore and slots are substantially similar in configuration as said cylindrical shaft and said lugs and receive said cylindrical shaft and said lugs, and substantially semi-circular lug seating means mounted at said shoulder in said cylindrical housing receiving said lugs and locking said sling securing means and said cylindrical casing.

5. The structure as recited by claim 4 wherein said sling securing loop portion is provided with end portions of reduced diameter, shoulder means mounted on said loop portion adjacent said end portions, said head portion having a transversely disposed bore extending therethrough, said bore receiving said end portions of said loop and said shoulders engaging side walls of said head portion.

No references cited. 

